And so we made our way to Oaxaca airport relatively early in the morning, we checked in our backpacks and went for coffee. We fly with Volaris, which has very new and comfortable planes, which was good, in particular when we discovered that the flight was a bit more than 4 hours. Mexico is really HUGE! The change of the landscape is really impressive: starting with the mountains around the Oaxaca Valley, all covered in green vegetation, after about one hour the Northern territories begin, a vast, predominantly mountainous desert on the side of the Sierra Madre, with a cactus here and there, but hardly any other greenery. As we approach Tijuana we fly along Baja California which looks really empty and dry, then some smaller canyons begin, and follow all the way to the biggest and busiest border city between Mexico and the United States. After picking up our luggage we get a bus ticket to San Diego which will bring us across the border in the easiest way. After just 20 min we arrive at the gates and are in line with other buses to be inspected for drugs, so the drivers need to open the bus’ panels, show the engine box and so on. On the side of the many lanes road there is a infinite queue of people: on one side those who can freely transit between the two countries (the fast lane) and those who need to apply for a permit (the slow lane). We are told that if we need a permit we need to get in line there.

Some mexicans get off the bus and enter the queue, but we are confident that the visa waivers we obtained on-line from sta.cbp.dhs.gov, means we have “permit”, so we stay on the bus with the others. The waiting takes about 2 hours. When we reach the passport control we are asked to show “the green slip”…mmmm green slip…”that is what you get on the plane before getting off”. Right, well, we didn’t fly here, so we don’t have any such green slip. “No problem”, said the officer, “do you see this line? well you don’t see the end of it, but if you just follow it all the way back you reach the Mexican gate, exit that, and get to the end of the queue. On you way back here you will see a building on your right saying “permits”, you get in there and get the green slip and the queue back here”. Nooooo! Is this real? As much as we don’t want it to be, it really is, so we start laughing while miserably walking back to Mexico. After 4 something sweaty hours in the queue we are finally back at the passport control on the U.S. side. We get through and out of there, and the first thing outside is a McDonalds of course…We were really shocked how on a regular weekday afternoon there could be so many people crossing, both by car and on foot. It’s a really crazy deal!

Moving on, we get on a bus to San Diego which is really close to the border and sit in the first coffee spot which offers free connection to be able to order a room for some days. As we walk north from the bus terminal to Broadway I’m charmed by the Gaslamp district, so full of life, with trendy and fancy bars and restaurants. I can’t wait to check in the room and sit down for some dinner!

So here is our first day in San Diego, it was tough to get here, but it’s for sure worth it! We get back some energy to discover the city tomorrow.